Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025
Official title: To provide lawful permanent resident status for certain advanced STEM degree holders, and for other purposes.
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025
This bill addresses issues relating to non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) with advanced degrees in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field, including exempting certain such individuals from direct limitations on the number of immigrant visas granted per year.
To be exempt from the annual numerical limitations on immigrant visas, the individual must (1) have earned a master's level or higher degree in certain STEM fields while in the United States attending an accredited higher education institution, (2) be employed (or have an offer) to perform work directly related to the degree and earn higher than the median wage for that occupation, and (3) meet certain labor certification requirements.
The bill also allows an individual seeking a nonimmigrant F-1 (student) visa for an advanced STEM degree to obtain the nonimmigrant visa even if the individual seeks lawful permanent resident status. (Generally, an individual may be denied a nonimmigrant visa if the individual actually intends to seek immigrant status, unless dual intent is allowed for that visa.)
Under this bill, to be approved for an F-1 visa for an advanced STEM degree, the applicant must apply for the visa before beginning the advanced degree program.
The bill also requires an individual who is inside the United States and applying for an F-1 visa for an advanced STEM degree to undergo the same vetting (e.g., verifying academic credentials and undergoing background checks) as an individual applying from outside the United States.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
- VANTEO FKA BDV SOLUTIONS LCC
- CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
- TIBER CREEK GROUP
- RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
- CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Bodies those filers lobbied
- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- SENATE
- White House Office
- Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS)
- Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)
- Labor, Dept of (DOL)
- State, Dept of (DOS)
- Employment & Training Administration
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2627: Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2627/
"H.R. 2627: Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2627/.
H.R. 2627, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2627/.
[H.R. 2627: Keep STEM Talent Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2627/)